Ruth Bell Graham | |
---|---|
Born |
Ruth McCue Bell June 10, 1920 Qingjiang, Jiangsu, China |
Died | June 14, 2007 Montreat, North Carolina, U.S. |
(aged 87)
Occupation | Philanthropist, poet, author, painter |
Spouse(s) | Billy Graham (m. 1943) |
Children | 5, including Anne and Franklin |
Ruth Bell Graham (June 10, 1920 – June 14, 2007), wife of the famous evangelist Billy Graham, was born in Qingjiang, Jiangsu, China, as Ruth McCue Bell, the second of five children. Her parents, Dr. L. Nelson Bell and Virginia McCue Bell, were medical missionaries at the Presbyterian Hospital 300 miles (480 km) north of Shanghai. At the age of 13 she was enrolled in high school in Pyongyang, Korea, where she studied for three years. Ruth completed her high school education at Montreat, North Carolina, while her parents were there on furlough. She graduated from Wheaton College (Illinois) in Wheaton, Illinois.
The Grahams met at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois and were married in the summer of 1943, shortly after their graduation. Ruth became a minister's wife for a brief period in Western Springs, Illinois. She lived out the rest of her life in Montreat, North Carolina. The Grahams have five children: Virginia (Gigi), Anne, Ruth, Franklin and Nelson Edman (Ned), nineteen grandchildren, and numerous great grandchildren. Grandson Tullian Tchividjian was senior pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, Florida before resigning in June 2015.
Mrs. Graham wrote “Our Christmas Story,” “Sitting by My Laughing Fire,” “It's My Turn,” “The Legacy of a Pack Rat,” “Prodigals and Those Who Love Them,” “Clouds Are the Dust of His Feet,” “One Wintry Night,” “Coffee and Conversation with Ruth Bell Graham and Gigi Graham Tchividjian,” “Collected Poems,” “Mothers Together,” and “Prayers From A Mother’s Heart.” Mrs. Graham’s most recent books published in 2001 are, “Never Let It End: Poems of a Lifelong Love“ published by Baker Books, “Footprints of a Pilgrim: The Life and Loves of Ruth Bell Graham,” published by Word Publishing and “A Quiet Knowing,” published by W Publishing Group.